Greeks Challenge EU-Backed Fish Farms Amid Environmental Concerns – Inside Climate News

Report on the Conflict Between Aquaculture Expansion and Sustainable Development Goals in Greece

Introduction: Aquaculture Growth vs. Environmental Sustainability

An investigation into the expansion of the aquaculture industry in Greece reveals a significant conflict between economic objectives, supported by European Union policy, and the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While promoted as a sustainable food source aligned with the EU Green Deal, large-scale fish farming operations are reportedly causing severe environmental degradation and facing strong opposition from local communities. This report analyzes the impacts of Greek aquaculture on marine ecosystems, local economies, and legal frameworks, with a specific focus on its alignment with SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Environmental Impact and Contradiction with SDG 14 & SDG 15

The expansion of fish farms poses a direct threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem health, undermining the objectives of SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Key Environmental Concerns:

• Marine Pollution: Local residents and fishermen, particularly on the island of Evia, report the formation of a thick layer of sludge on the seabed in areas surrounding fish farms. This pollution, resulting from uneaten fish feed and feces, degrades water quality and destroys marine habitats, directly conflicting with SDG Target 14.1, which aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution.
• Destruction of Posidonia Seagrass Meadows: A critical issue is the degradation of Posidonia oceanica (Neptune grass) meadows, a protected species under EU and Greek law. These meadows are vital for carbon sequestration and act as nurseries for marine life.
  1. Studies indicate that fish farm waste and the physical obstruction of sunlight by cages negatively impact Posidonia meadows up to 400 meters away.
  2. Investigations by conservation organizations and environmental consultants have found evidence of dead or “clearly degraded” seagrass fields near farms, suggesting illegal placement of facilities on top of these protected habitats.
  3. This destruction contravenes SDG Target 14.2 (sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems) and SDG Target 15.5 (take urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity).
• Encroachment on Protected Areas: The planned expansion of aquaculture zones reportedly impinges on Natura 2000 marine protected areas, such as the South Euboean Gulf. While not de facto illegal, the activity is required to not negatively impact the protected habitats, a condition that local communities and environmental groups allege is not being met.

Socio-Economic Implications and Challenges to SDG 8

The economic rationale for expanding aquaculture, a key component of the EU’s Blue Growth strategy, is contested at the local level and raises questions about its contribution to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Economic Analysis:

• Industry Scale: Greece is a top EU producer of farmed sea bream and sea bass, farming over 140,000 tons annually with a value exceeding 700 million euros, over 80% of which is exported.
• Substantial Subsidies: The industry is heavily subsidized by the EU, receiving hundreds of millions of euros through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and other recovery funds.
• Questionable Macroeconomic Contribution: A 2023 study by the University of Piraeus concluded that the sector has a limited macroeconomic contribution (0.35% to Greece’s economy), stagnant employment, and low innovation, despite heavy subsidies.
• Lack of Local Benefits: Residents in affected areas like Evia report that the economic benefits do not reach their communities, citing low wages for farm workers and a lack of investment in local infrastructure. This challenges the industry’s stated potential for job creation and sustainable economic development in rural areas as envisioned by SDG 8.

Governance, Legal Challenges, and SDG 16

The controversy highlights significant issues in governance, environmental monitoring, and legal enforcement, which are central to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Legal and Institutional Failures:

1. Community Opposition and Legal Action: Residents across Greece are actively opposing the expansion. In Evia, a petition has been filed with Greece’s highest administrative court to annul the zoning for new fish farms, alleging violations of EU and Greek environmental law.
2. Inadequate Environmental Assessments: Opponents allege that Environmental Impact Studies are not conducted properly, failing to identify protected habitats like Posidonia meadows within proposed aquaculture zones. This points to a failure in regulatory oversight.
3. Non-Compliance with EU Directives: A formal complaint has been filed with the European Commission regarding Greece’s non-compliance with EU directives in zoning aquaculture within Natura 2000 sites. The lack of specific national legislation for most of Greece’s marine Natura 2000 zones, for which the country was censured by the EU Court of Justice in 2020, exacerbates the problem.
4. Access to Justice: The legal actions undertaken by local communities represent an effort to uphold the rule of law and ensure access to justice (SDG Target 16.3) in the face of perceived institutional failures to enforce environmental legislation.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • The article’s central theme is the impact of aquaculture on marine ecosystems. It details the pollution of the Aegean Sea, the destruction of seagrass meadows (*Posidonia oceanica*), and the degradation of marine habitats, which are core concerns of SDG 14.

2. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Although focused on a marine environment, the article highlights the destruction of *Posidonia oceanica*, a protected plant species. This connects to SDG 15’s goal of halting biodiversity loss and protecting threatened species and their habitats. The article explicitly mentions that these seagrass meadows are vital ecosystems that act as “nurseries for fish and other seafloor creatures.”

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article discusses the economic aspects of the fish farming industry, including its value (over 700 million euros), its promotion by the EU for job creation, and its actual contribution to the Greek economy (0.35%). It presents a conflict between the push for economic growth through aquaculture and the resulting environmental degradation, questioning the sustainability of this economic model.

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The article details the actions of local communities seeking justice through legal channels, such as bringing a “petition before Greece’s highest administrative court” and filing a “complaint with the EU.” It also points to institutional failures, such as the lack of enforcement of environmental laws, described as “the Wild West,” and the failure to legislate protections for most Natura 2000 marine zones.

5. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • The article examines the sustainability of a major food production system. The methods of fish farming described, which lead to pollution and habitat destruction, are examples of unsustainable production patterns. The conflict between the EU’s promotion of aquaculture and the local environmental damage highlights the challenges of achieving sustainable production.

6. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • A direct link to climate action is made when the article states that *Posidonia* “plays an important role in sequestering carbon.” The destruction of these seagrass meadows, therefore, undermines a natural carbon sink, which is relevant to climate change mitigation efforts.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds. The article directly addresses this target by describing the “thick layer of sludge” and “quagmire” resulting from fish farm waste, which includes “uneaten fish feed and feces.”
   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. The destruction of *Posidonia* seagrass meadows, which the article describes as “dead or ‘clearly degraded’,” is a clear example of failing to meet this target.
   • Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas. The article points out that fish farms are planned to “impinge on the Natura 2000 Marine Area,” a network of protected areas, highlighting a failure in the effective management and conservation of these designated zones.

2. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The article states that *Posidonia oceanica* is a “protected species under both European Union and Greek law,” and its destruction by fish farms is a direct contravention of this target.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The article illustrates a failure to decouple economic growth from environmental harm, as the expansion of the aquaculture industry, despite its low macroeconomic contribution (0.35% of the economy), is causing significant environmental damage.

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. This is demonstrated by residents filing petitions and complaints to national and EU courts to enforce existing environmental laws that they allege are being violated by the aquaculture zoning plans.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The local protests (“No more fish farms, we want clean seas”) and legal challenges suggest that the decision-making process for expanding fish farms was not inclusive of the local communities’ concerns.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 14 (Life Below Water)

   • Water Quality: The article provides qualitative indicators of poor water quality, such as the presence of a “thick layer of sludge” and waters that are no longer “clear” or “clean.” These observations serve as a direct measure of marine pollution (Target 14.1).
   • Ecosystem Health: The condition of the *Posidonia* seagrass meadows is a key indicator. Descriptions like “dead or ‘clearly degraded’,” “shriveled into a lichen-colored morass,” and their complete absence near farms (“near the farm there’s none”) can be used to measure the impact on marine ecosystems (Target 14.2).
   • Biodiversity Loss: The anecdotal evidence from a resident who “used to see starfish and crabs in these waters. Now I don’t” serves as an indicator of local biodiversity loss (Target 14.2).
   • Management of Protected Areas: The statistic that only “a dozen” out of 174 marine Natura 2000 zones in Greece have national protective legislation is a quantifiable indicator of the effectiveness of conservation efforts (Target 14.5).

2. Indicators for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

   • Economic Contribution vs. Environmental Impact: The statistic that aquaculture contributed “only 0.35 percent to Greece’s economy” while causing “growing environmental conflicts” is an indicator used to assess whether economic growth is being decoupled from environmental degradation (Target 8.4).
   • Public Subsidies: The amount of subsidies provided by the EU (“hundreds of millions of Euros”) for an industry with negative environmental impacts is an indicator of economic policies that may not align with sustainability goals (Target 8.4).

3. Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

   • Access to Justice: The number of legal actions taken by citizens, such as the “petition before Greece’s highest administrative court” and the “complaint with the European Commission,” can be used as an indicator of citizens’ efforts to access justice and hold institutions accountable (Target 16.3).
   • Enforcement of Laws: The statement that “monitoring of environmental issues and enforcement of environmental legislation has a major problem” is a qualitative indicator of weak institutional capacity and a failure to uphold the rule of law (Target 16.3).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insideclimatenews.org